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T O P I C R E V I E W

Philip

Next year, Air Force Colonel Frank De Winne will make his 2nd spaceflight to the ISS (this will be the third Belgian manned spaceflight after Dirk Frimout on STS-45 and De Winne on Soyuz TMA-01).

ESA set up a competition to give the mission a name:

ESA looks for a name for its next long-term mission to the ISS

In May 2009, ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, of Belgian nationality and a member of the European Astronaut Corps, will fly to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. ESA is holding a competition to find a name for the mission.

During his stay on the ISS, De Winne will conduct scientific experiments developed by scientists from different European countries and others worldwide. In addition he will also perform technology demonstrations and an education programme.

De Winne's ISS mission reflects the long-term commitment of Europe to human spaceflight and exploration. ESA's participation in the ISS programme is a stepping stone for Europe in human exploration of the Universe.

After delivering the Columbus laboratory and successfully launching the first ATV, Jules Verne, Europe is well placed to play an essential role in the upcoming international space exploration missions to orbital outposts, e.g. ISS, the Moon and beyond. The next long-term mission of Frank De Winne to the ISS helps to prepare space exploration and benefits life on Earth.

In preparation for De Winne's flight, ESA launches a competition to find a European name for its next long-term mission to the ISS. The competition is open to all citizens of the ESA Member States*, who are invited to propose a name for De Winne's mission. The winning name will become the official European name of the mission and the winner will receive a frame with the mission logo signed by European astronauts.

How to participate

The name has to reflect the following aspects:

Europe is exploring spaceHumans are explorers by nature. Europe has a legacy in exploring Earth and will live up to the expectations in exploring space.

Europe has its own Columbus laboratory permanently in spaceEurope uses its Columbus laboratory on the ISS for science, technology and education for the benefit of life on Earth.

From space our planet looks blue because of the waterWater is the basis of life. Clean water is the basis for healthy life of all humans on Earth.

Conditions

The proposal should contain the name and an explanation why this would be an appropriate name for an ESA human mission to space.

The proposal has to illustrate the above messages.

The proposal should be maximum one A4 page, 12 pt, single space.

The name should be a word (or a short combination of words), not a personal name (unless it is a mythological name which has a commonly known symbolic meaning).

The proposals should be submitted via email to mission.name@esa.int. The proposal can be written in the body of the email or in an attached Word document. The attachment should not exceed 3 MB.

Regardless of the email address you are using for the submission, please write in your email your real full name, age, home address and phone number. This is very important -- we need to be able to contact you if you win.

Please put 'Mission Name Competition' into the subject line of the email. This would allow us to make sure that your email does not accidentally get lost in the spam filter.

The proposals have to arrive in the mission.name@esa.int mailbox the latest by 18:00 CEST, 15 October 2008. ESA bears no responsibility for any delay or loss of email.

The proposals should be submitted in English language. If you are having doubts about the fluency of your English writing, please go ahead and submit your proposal nevertheless. As long as the idea is interesting and understandable it will be considered. If you win, the editorial help for final publication will be provided.

The winning proposal will be published on the ESA web site in November 2008 with the announcement of the name of the winner and possibly with the link to the winners' web site.

By submitting the application, the applicant gives permission to ESA to publish their name and hands over to ESA all the rights to use the proposal for the purposes outlined in this announcement and for purposes related to ESA communications.

All submissions are individual. No group submissions will be accepted.

By submitting the proposal, the participant declares that this is their own work and is not copied from any other original work. ESA bears no responsibility for verifying the authenticity of the proposals.

For applicants below age of 18, by submitting the proposal they confirm that a parent/legal guardian is informed about the submission and agreed to it, taking into account the above conditions.

ESA staff members and their relatives are not allowed to take part in this competition.

* Residents of the following states are allowed to participate in the competition: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Robert Pearlman

European Space Agency release

Fly your picture on the International Space Station

School children aged 6-12 are invited take part in a competition to design a t-shirt for ESA astronaut Frank De Winne to wear during his mission to the International Space Station next year. The winner, and all their classmates, will get to talk to De Winne in space.

In May 2009, Frank De Winne, of Belgian nationality and a member of the European Astronaut Corps, will fly to the International Space Station. De Winne will spend 6 months on board the Station and will conduct scientific experiments developed by scientists from different countries worldwide.

He will also teach two lessons from space to children on the ground during his mission. On this occasion he will wear a very special t-shirt. The front of this t-shirt will bear a picture created by a European child who currently attends primary school.

You, maybe?

Any child aged from 6 to 12 who goes to school in any ESA Member State* in the school year 2008-2009 is invited to participate in the competition. The winning drawing will be printed on a t-shirt which De Winne will wear when giving a lesson from space.

The winner, together with their whole class, will have an opportunity to talk to Frank De Winne in space. Of course, the winner will be the first one to say "Hello", introduce his/her class and ask the first question. Make sure to tell your teacher that you are participating. ESA will help your teacher to organise the event.

How to participate

The drawing has to reflect the following themes:

Europe is exploring spaceHumans are explorers by nature. Achievements in space benefit life on Earth. Europe has a legacy in exploration. First it was the Earth and now it is Space.

From space our planet looks blue because of the waterClean water is important for healthy life of all humans, all children on Earth. Clean water is the right of every human in the world.

In short: make sure that the drawing includes the elements which in some way symbolise or represent space and the Earth - the blue planet covered by water.

If you consider participating, note the following:

Your drawing can be any size and shape as long as it fits inside a circle with a diameter of 30 cm.

Please use bright colours, but only a few!

When you are finished drawing, step back 2 to 3 metres and check that your picture is easy to see and to understand. It has to be sharp and clear.

On the back of your drawing write your full name, age, home address and telephone number. This is very important - we need to be able to contact you if you win. Remember to tell your parents and your teacher that you are participating.

Send your picture to us at the address at the bottom of this article.

Competition rules

The competition is only open to school pupils aged 6-12 who attend schools in ESA Member States*.

Drawings are only accepted from residents of the ESA Member States*.

The drawing has to reach us the latest on Monday, 22 October 2008. Make sure to post it on time.

The winner will be announced on the ESA website at the beginning of November 2008.

Relatives of ESA staff members are not allowed to take part in this competition

All submissions are individual. No group submissions will be accepted.

Only one drawing per participant will be accepted.

By submitting the drawing, the participant declares that this is his or her own work and is not copied from any other original work. ESA bears no responsibility for verifying the authenticity of the drawings.

By submitting the drawing, the participant hands over to ESA all the rights to use the drawing for the purposes outlined in this announcement and for communication purposes regarding the mission of Frank De Winne.

By submitting the drawing, the participant confirms that a parent/legal guardian is informed about the submission and agreed to it, taking into account the above conditions.

* Residents of the following states are allowed to participate in the competition: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Robert Pearlman

European Space Agency release

Fly your picture on the International Space Station - ESA announces the winners

It was a tough choice for the jury to make. Within just a few weeks of launching the competition, over 2000 drawings were received from primary school children eager to see ESA astronaut Frank De Winne wearing their t-shirt in space. Today, ESA is proud to announce the names of three winners.

The winners are: Alexandra Angellotti, 12 years old, from Italy; Bruno Tedim Guerra, 11 years old from Portugal and Iman Bouwens, 8 years old, from Belgium.

Launched last September, the competition invited school children aged 6-12 to design a t-shirt for Frank De Winne to wear during his long-duration mission to the International Space Station next year.

During his six-month mission in space, De Winne will conduct scientific experiments developed by scientists from different countries worldwide and he will also teach lessons to children on the ground. On this occasion Frank De Winne will wear t-shirts displaying the drawings by Alexandra, Bruno and Iman.

The winners ideally represent all European primary school children. "It was impossible to select only one winner," explains Piero Messina, Head of the Coordination Office in ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight which organised the competition.

"We had an enthusiastic response. We have received hundreds of drawings from children of various ages and from all over Europe. Surprisingly, we also received some drawings from Colombia. All of them were indeed very good. Space is an inspiring subject for children: they are the next generation of explorers. Space represents for them the next natural frontier."

Three radio links with the International Space Station will be organised, one for each class: the winners, together with all their classmates, will have the opportunity to talk to Frank De Winne in space, when he will personally congratulate them.

In May 2009, Frank De Winne, of Belgian nationality and a member of the European Astronaut Corps, will fly to the International Space Station at the start of his six-month mission. This mission sees him become the first European commander of the Station by October 2009. ESA has now given his mission the name OasISS.

During his stay on the International Space Station (ISS), De Winne will conduct scientific experiments developed by scientists from different European countries and others worldwide. In addition he will perform technology demonstrations and an education programme. De Winne will also be instrumental in operating the Station's robotic arm and that of the Kibo module, to help install the external payloads for the Japanese laboratory.

OasISS, the second European long-term mission to the ISS, will enlarge the crew of the ISS to six astronauts for the first time and thereby increase the time available for scientific experiments. It is a visible sign of the important role Europe plays through ESA in human spaceflight and in human exploration.

The name was chosen by ESA from 520 suggestions received in response to a competition launched by ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight last September. "I am very pleased with the interest the mission name competition has received from many people in all ESA Member States. It shows that human spaceflight is attractive and important for a lot of Europeans," says De Winne. "The selected name represents the spirit of human exploration and addresses all the aspects set out in the competition brief, including the importance of water for human life. I would like to thank everybody who spent their time and creativity to contribute to finding the name. I am proud that my mission carries a name proposed by a European citizen."

The winning name refers to many aspects of the International Space Station as well as to human exploration, ranging from the exploration of deserts on Earth by European explorers, to the deserts we will find on other planets, where humankind might be able set up an oasis and provide a permanent human outpost to live on that planet. The ISS itself can be considered an oasis in space for its astronauts and cosmonauts, whilst the Earth is often referred to as the Blue Planet and represents an oasis for humankind in the Universe. The name also refers to the challenge to find an oasis, where human exploration is a challenge in itself.

OasISS also ties in with De Winne's role as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF Belgium. In support of the UNICEF 2009 WASH campaign dedicated to water, sanitation and hygiene, several events will be implemented during his flight to draw public attention to the availability and cleanliness of water which is critically important for human life. "Water is a scarce resource on board the ISS; responsible use and recycling in space can help develop efficient water processing applications for Earth, which are particularly important for the developing countries," explains De Winne.

The winning mission name, OasISS, was proposed by Jan Puylaert from Ghent, in Belgium.

Robert Pearlman

European Space Agency release

Q&A with ESA astronaut Frank De Winne on YouTube

There's no shower on the ISS. Do you know how astronauts manage to keep themselves clean? There's no up or down in space. How do astronauts adapt to this environment?

All you have to do is record your question using a webcam, video camera or mobile phone, and post it on ESA's YouTube channel. Each week, De Winne will post his responses to selected questions on the site from either his training post in Moscow or directly from space.

De Winne is currently in training ahead of his six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He will travel to the ISS together with Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk. Their Russian Soyuz spacecraft is set to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 27 May.

During his stay on the Station, De Winne's activities will focus on scientific research, technology and education. He will also become the first European commander of the ISS, where his responsibilities will include conducting operations, directing crew activities and ensuring the crew's safety.

To mark ESA astronaut Frank De Winne's six-month OasISS mission to the International Space Station, and triggered by his role as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF Belgium, ESA's Human Spaceflight Education Team has teamed up with UNICEF to launch an online quiz for 12-14 year old European children.

The theme of the quiz is water on Earth and in space. UNICEF is currently running a campaign called WASH about water and hygiene. The campaign centres on the importance of clean water for human life.

Water, as a primary element supporting life, is also of paramount importance for human spaceflight and future exploration endeavours. Considerable effort is being made to help resolve the specific problems encountered in space - such as water scarcity, the need for recycling and special hygienic conditions. The technologies and solutions developed to meet these challenges are directly applicable on Earth.

By participating in the ESA/UNICEF water quiz you can find out more about water on Earth and in space and learn how the two are related.

At the end of the quiz, Frank De Winne will reveal the answer of the final question and announce the winner of the competition from on board the International Space Station. The inflight call will be broadcast during the ISS Day, an education event scheduled to take place in Brussels, Belgium, on 6 October. A recording of De Winne's announcement will be available on the ESA website a few hours after the event.

The quiz will be available in all ESA Member State languages*. Participants will have to register to take part.

Water quiz schedule

Registration opens on 26 August. The first water quiz question will be published on Friday 9 September. A new question will be published every two working days at 16:00 CEST (14:00 UT)**. There will be 10 questions in total. The final question will be published on 30 September. Follow the latest news on ESA's human spaceflight website to check the starting dates and the competition rules.

The quiz questions will be published on the ESA/UNICEF water quiz website at 16:00 CEST (14:00 UT)* according to the following schedule:

Question 1: Wednesday 9 September

Q2: Friday 11 September

Q3: Monday 14 September

Q4: Wednesday 16 September

Q5: Friday 18 September

Q6: Monday 21 September

Q7: Wednesday 23 September

Q8: Friday 25 September

Q9: Monday 28 September

Q10: Wednesday 30 September

OasISS mission

De Winne is one of a crew of six currently living and working on the International Space Station. He is scheduled to remain in orbit until the end of November this year.

During his mission, named OasISS, De Winne will use the scientific facilities of the ISS, especially the European Columbus laboratory, to undertake a European programme of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations.

Following a crew rotation in October, he will also become the commander of the Station until his return to Earth in November. He is the first European to take on this role.

ESA views education as a valuable aspect of its human spaceflight missions, helping to inspire the youth of today. As such, the OasISS mission will be the prime focus of ESA's education activities during the mission.

* Residents and nationals of the following states are allowed to participate in the competition: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

** UK, Ireland and Portugal at 15:00 local time, Finland and Greece at 17:00 local time.

Philip

Glad we managed to get the first European commander of the International Space Station on the cover of the December issue of Spaceflight magazine.